Butter chicken is creamy, buttery, and oh so tasty!
Butter chicken is not quite as sweet and tangy as chicken tikka masala is. In comparison it’s much more of a North Indian or Punjabi curry but probably because chicken tikka masala isn’t ral. It has the traditionally layered flavors of ginger, garlic, cloves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, combined with cream and butter; making it thick, creamy, and hearty. The heavy use of butter just makes it Punjabi goodness!
Curry is not something you’d make for a quick dinner or just toss together in a short amount of time. I nearly hate that there are so many quick fix recipes out there, simply because it’s a ramshackle way to make something that is best when done painstakingly. You can’t make a fabulous roast, rack of ribs, Thanksgiving turkey, paella, or coq au vin in 30 minutes, similarly you can’t get a great curry in 30 minutes. Traditional curry takes hours to prepare, simmer, and to perfectly layer the flavors. At only an hour-ish cook time, this curry is considered a fast one. If you’re up against a time deadline, consider something easier like a fry up. Fry ups are perfect midweek and VERY tasty. But if you do have the time and the patience, a good curry will fix all that is wrong with your day.
Fun fact #65: Curry means gravy.
Maybe a fun fact #66: Curry spice is actually a British concoction.
I think it’s a fun fact #67: There is a curry leaf – which tastes NOTHING like curry spice – and is predominately found in South Indian cuisine.
Looking for a few more Indian restaurant classics? Try these:
Butter Chicken
6
servings1
hour10
minutes55
minutes2
hours5
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For Marinade:
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp ginger, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp garam masala, ground
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp cumin seed, ground
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 lbs chicken, skinless and cubed (you can use bone-in)
- For Gravy:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, pureed
2 tbsp ginger, pureed
1 chili pepper, finely minced
2 tbsp whole garam masala, ground
2 whole dried red chilies
1 tbsp whole cumin seed, ground
1 Indian bay leaf
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp coriander seed, ground
1 stick cinnamon
4 cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 cup water
6 tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 stick of butter
Salt, to taste
Cilantro for garnish
black mustard seed for garnish
Equipment/Specialty Items
Cumin SeedsCumin Seeds
Indian Bay LeafIndian Bay Leaf- Coriander SeedsCoriander Seeds
- Cinnamon SticksCinnamon Sticks
- Green CardamomGreen Cardamom
ClovesCloves
Directions
- Marinade:
- In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk yogurt till smooth.
- Add in garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Mix in chicken and coat evenly.
- Refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours, overnight if possible for the best flavor.
- Cooking Chicken:
- These are best cooked over the grill however, if you’re not going to bbq these, use the broiler.
- For broiler: Position the oven rack about 8 inches from the heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade. Place the pieces of chicken on a baking sheet.
- Broil the chicken, turning over from time to time to ensure even cooking, for approximately 10 minutes or until the outside has brown/crispy spots.
- Cooking Gravy:
- Heat oil in large nonstick saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Saute onions until deep brown approximately 10-15 minutes. Make sure to continue stirring to avoid burning.
- Add in garlic and ginger and saute till fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add in chili pepper and saute till fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
- Add in garam masala, dried chilies, cumin, Indian bay leaf, turmeric, and ground coriander seeds. Cook till fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
- Add in cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Stir in water.
- Pour in pureed tomatoes and cayenne pepper. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and turns deep brownish red. Approximately 10 minutes.
- Stir in cream and butter.
- Return the chicken to the gravy and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
- At this point the sauce should be thick and bubbling. If it’s too thick, add water.
- Add in salt.
- Serve:
- Garnish with cilantro and mustard seeds. Serve with roti and raita.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 705kcal
- Fat: 59.4g
- Saturated Fat: 29.1g
- Cholesterol: 170mg
- Sodium: 1595mg
- Potassium: 919mg
- Carbohydrates: 25.7g
- Net Carbs: 19.7g
- Fiber: 6g
- Sugar: 11.2g
- Protein: 22.1g
- Vitamin A: 178.4mcg
- Vitamin C: 41mg
- Calcium: 228mg
- Iron: 5mg
- Vitamin D: 1.2mcg
- Vitamin E: 3.4mg
- Vitamin K: 30.9mcg
- Thiamin: 0.2mg
- Riboflavin: 0.4mg
- Niacin: 6.6mg
- Vitamin B6: 0.7mg
- Vitamin B12: 0.6mcg
- Folate: 49.7mcg
- Pantothenic Acid: 1.3mg
- Phosphorus: 315mg
- Magnesium: 85mg
- Zinc: 2mg
- Selenium: 20.1mcg
- Copper: 0.3mg
- Manganese: 1.2mg
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